Song Rig
Guerrilla Radio
Tom Morello · The Battle of Los Angeles · 1999
Tone Overview
What Makes This Sound Unique
Morello's most rhythmically locked Rage tone — the main riff uses tight rhythmic muting through a Marshall to create a mechanical, insistent groove that functions almost as a drum pattern. The solo uses a combination of the kill switch, whammy, and pickup selector toggling to produce sounds that have no analogue in conventional guitar technique.
Signal Chain
- 1Arm the Homeless custom guitar (kill switch wired)
- 2DigiTech Whammy (various settings per section)
- 3Marshall JCM800 (100W)
- 4DOD FX40B EQ (mid-forward setting)
Amp Settings
Identical platform to Killing in the Name — consistent Marshall JCM800 + graphic EQ mid-boost setup across all Rage Against the Machine material. The tonal variation comes entirely from the kill switch and Whammy, not amp adjustments.
Technique
How to Play It
The solo combines three simultaneous techniques: kill-switch rhythmic stuttering, whammy pitch shifts, and pick scrapes with pickup selector toggling. None of these sounds are conventionally musical — Morello treats the guitar as a DJ scratching device, using physical manipulation of the instrument rather than fretted notes.
Budget Alternative
Achievable With
Any guitar with a toggle switch wired as kill switch + DigiTech Whammy (a non-negotiable effect — no other pitch pedal replicates the exact Whammy character) + heavy distortion. Practice the kill-switch stutter independently before combining it with picking.
Your Gear
Adapt to My Amp
More from Tom Morello